Deflections - Demo – Yes; Play – NO

Once upon a time, in my early days as a house league coach, I used to
practice my formidable stickhandling skills by keeping the puck away
from my players. It was only when a few ganged up on me that I lost the
puck. That I could dangle through a bunch of 11-year-olds did wonders
for my self-esteem. I even managed it with bantams.

We used to hold parent-player games where parents, including ones who
could barely skate, and coaches played a “fun” game against the kids.
We got pretty competitive and sometimes bodies flew. This ended when I
was informed just how dangerous and silly it all was.

Today, that game would not happen. Aside from sensible reasons,
insurance and litigation get in the way. Yet I still see coaches
actively playing with or against kids in drills. Make no mistake: these
are not demonstrations. There’s a world of difference between showing
kids how to, say, receive a body check and being in a drill with them as
either the checker or the “checkee.”

Even demonstrations need to be done at a speed and proximity where
every child can catch the required movements and instruction. That’s
just good teaching. If you watch a baseball pitcher deliver a pitch on
TV, you notice little until the video is slowed to a crawl. It’s only
then that you see his grip and the way the ball moves. Demos need to be
sloooowww and clear.

When a coach participates with a player, he/she is no longer
coaching. You can’t play and at the same moment observe, teach, and give
feedback. More importantly, there is a massive risk of injury to both.
Try to imagine your defence in a lawsuit by the family of a child
accidentally hurt in a drill when you fell on him. Was it necessary for
the child to learn the skill by being against an adult with greater
weight and strength? Of course not.

Then, too, is the issue of what would compel an adult to want to
participate in a drill of any sort. Show off his skills? Establish a
power base, so to speak? Perhaps even a touch of subjugation of the
kids?

I’ve heard coaches defend this by stating the kids enjoy it. Do they
really? Do they also enjoy parents on scooters in the neighbourhood
chasing them? Do they want Mom or Dad playing with their toys while the
child is with a friend?

Hockey is supposed to be a fun participatory activity for the kids.
Let your players do the drills with each other. If the coaches need to
play, join a league.

Established in 1999, HockeyNow is the only magazine delivering the best in news and stories from across the minor, junior, collegiate and female hockey ranks, both in print and through our world-class website at HockeyNow.ca. Print copies of our 43 annual issues are available free in hockey rinks across B.C., Alberta, and Ontario. We are deeply involved and committed to developing and promoting the game of hockey to our readers through unique perspectives and stories they won’t find anywhere else. See more...